Brake-beam.



WILLIAMS, la.

Y Pu FIG.

i 20 bled.. Fig. 4 is a similar view afterthe certain Anew and ust-.fel 'Im rovcr'nent. in

-UNigTED sri-tres Paritair marion.

CHARLES H. WIILIAMS, JB., F CIGAGO, ILLINCLS, SSIGNOB T0 CHICAGO RILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, F. CHICAGO, lLLINOIS, A CURPORATGN.

BRAKE-BEAM.

Specleation at Letters Patent, Patented hlay 10, 1910. .Application led June 3, 1969. Eeria En. l.

To all whom it may concern:

Bc it. known that I, CHARLES H. -Wm LiAMs, Jr., a citizen of thc United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented a v Brake-Beams, of which the, .olloiivinpr is a full, clear,and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ppertains to make and use the same, reference being, had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of-this specification, in. which- 'Figure 1 is a sectional view thinugh one end of a. trussed brake beam embodying myl improvement. .F ig. 2 is en elevational' view of a portion of a brake head, showing the socket. Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a portion of the brake head and compression member before the parts are assem- Aparts are assembled.y Fig-Sis a detailed view of a modified frm. Fig. 6 is a detailed view of, another modified form of my invention. i

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement 'in brake `beams and `particularly to a novel means whereby the brake l head, or thrust block, is made to fit tightly on thc end of the compression member.

@ In the manuacture of brake beams in Awhich thc compression member is of :i commercially rolled form, such, for instance as the, channel 'form illustrated in the drawings, irregularities exist as to the depth or" the channels, and, consequcnfl?Y it has been the practice hcrctoford to maxe thc socket in the thrust block or brake head` which is to receive thc end-of such connncrcialb rolled compression member, of a size to. 40 accommodate the, largest. size commerciali' rolled member. In a three-inch chanac,

' that is, a. channel which is thrcc inches svidc l from edge to edge, and which dimension is l p usually well preserved iu the rc'iing ot' the i channel, the flanges arev also intsnded 4ro bc of uniform dimensions but, as :i matter ot' g fact, they vary considerably, such variation l having been noted .',o amount lo as much as threc-sixtecuths of an inch in the depths ot E 'fore flic legs ol: the channel, Indeed. variations i occur bet-weon the depths of the legs of the f same channel, so that it is impossible to l prepare a socket of uniform size which will l fit commercially frolled members whose flanges are subject to such -variation.

filiere a thrust. block' or brake head docs not snugl lit upon thc end of the compres sion member, a space or void,.:is if might be termed, has to be. leken up before the brake cylinder can apply the proper power to the 6o brakes. T his may, perhaps, be better understood by reference lo the tests to which brake heams are subjected before heilig placed in service, to determine theI detlection of *he beam. Railroads frequently specify that 55 under a given load thc beam shall not deflect more than a. certain part `of an inch, and unless the beam is strongr enough to stand up under such an implied load without. deflecting the. specific. minimum, then it will be rejected. In one instance, a railroad specified that its braliebcams should sustain a load of twelve thousand pounds with not more than one-sixtecnthof an inch (.0625) deflection. A beam of the character illustrntcd in the drawings, but Without having means for taking up lost motion tiri-tween the ends of the compression mouiller and the thrust hloclr or head, was submitted to be tested, and, notwithstanding the factthst() thc enos or the tension member were screwed up suflicienlly tight. to put a proper cambcr inthe compression member,the hezun showed n deflection oi' over one-sixfeenlh ot' an inch when a tive thousand pound load was applied. .I iter the parts of the beam, undcr this load, had heen seated "home", that, is, after the lost motion had been taken up, the beam was further loaded by the apnlication of over lnelve thousand pounds additional pressure, but showed less than one-sixteenth additional deflection.

lt is apparent from the above that if it takes the application of an initial load to consume the lost motion refe: red to,y that the pistou in the brake cylinder is forced to travel unnecessarily in taking up this wasted deflection of the brain before its power can he applied through the beau: as braking power, When it is considered that the lost :notion or wasted deflection in the beam is 'u'.ill'piicd ahout siatccntimes beA if iov malte cylinder, iz` will he appreciated that the stroke ot the piston in the brake cylinder is thus made unuercs 106 sarily long. l

My resent invention consists in making the soc ret in the thrust block or brake head of such size as to acconunodae the s'nallest commercially rolled member ot the size used.

By smallest l mean a cnmmercially rolled member having thc shortest legs, or narrowl est llanges, due to irregularities or inequalities in its manufacture. 1 provide means whereby the socket in the thrust block or brake head may either be cut away upon the introduction ot a commercially rolled mem` ber, any of whose dimensions are larger than the smallest dimensions for which the socket is designed to receive, whereb when said commereiall rolled member is ullyinserted into the soc et, there is no lost motion between the parts and consequently, no wasted deflection and resultant unnecessary stroke of the piston in the brake cylinder. -By making the parts so they will fit tightly, I am enabled to get the full benefit of the strength of the metal without having to take up any lost motion, and, consequently, brake beams embodying my improvement, when tested, show that they are able to stand maximum loads with minimum deliectons.

In the drawings, l indicates the compression member which, in this instance, is shown as a. commercially rolled channel, although it is obvious that I-beams or other commerciall rolled forms may be employed if desire 2 is the tension member, shown as a rod. In trussed brake beams, there are also struts or lever posts, finger guards, and other accessories, none of which are shown because they form no part of my present invention.

3 is a casting which may be in the nature of a thrust block upon which an adjustable brake head, such :1s-is shown in the Robischung Patent No. 485,823, dated November 8th, 19(12, may be mounted; or sadcasting may be integral with thc brake head, as shown in the accompanying drawings. Upon the outer face of this casting, nut 4, which has a threaded connection with the end of the tension member, impinges. Casting 3 is provided with a socket for the reception of the end of the commercially rolled member. The shoulder in the socket against which the flanges of the connnercially rolled member are seated, is raised, as shown in Fig. 3, to such point that the-space between said shoulder and the opposite wall of the socket is sufficient to take in the smallest fiange. rlhe outer edge of the shoulder is beveled, as shown at 3^, which bevel is of such depth as to include the largest flange. Casting 3 is arranged upon the end o' the compression member, and if the. flanges are of such size as to require it, the casting` is driven onto the end of the com )resa-ion member, or forced on by the; u e oi the requisite aumunt of prissure. The Hanges of the commercially rolled member, in riding up the inclined face 3, will either be mashed wma, or mash down the shoulder in the soclff. le pending upon which is the softe'. inet-il. ln either event. a tight fit results, as u ir.

rig. 4.

lin Fig. 5 I have shown the shou- -;r as

being without the inclined tace, the op; site tace being corrugated. so that as the channel is intrrxluced the upper edge of the Y 'eb the :of will be either cut away or mash down the corrugations 3b.

It is obvious that as .tar as taking up lost motion is concerned, this could be accomplished by driving in a shim 5, as shown in Fig. (i. As the variable ccmmerciallj,7 rolled members would require varying thicknesses 'of shims, I prefer the construction hereto- T'ore described, in which the end of the c0n1- pression member either cuts its path home, is mashed, or meshes the. cooperative faces of casting 3, so that tight tit results and no lost motion is present between these parts.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a brake beam, the combination of a commercially rolled member, and a part having a socket to receive said commercially rolled :.ie'urher, said .snel-:et being ot such size as to tightly lit the smallest commercially rolled member. 2. In a brake beam, the combination of a. anged, commercially rolled member, the part having a socket designed to receive said flange commercially rolled member., said socket having a dimension a small as the smallest l dimension 'of'saiv commercially rolled member,

3. ln a brake beam.A the combination of a flanged commercially rolled member, of a part having a socket to receive said flanged commercially rolled member, said socket having a seat for the Parures of said oom- ;nercially rolled membei which seat has an inclined portion.

4. In a brake beam, me combination of a commercially rolled member, of a part having a socket designed to receive said member, the inner face of said sockel, having inclined walls, whereby the commercially rolled member vvill cut er mash its way to its home position.

5. In a brake beam. the combination of a commercially rolled member, a part having a socket designed to receive the end of said commercially rolled member, and means in the socket for taking up lost motion between said parts.

6. Abmke beam puri lui-ving i1 Suc-kei,- fm

the beam member, said suf-iwf. having` vmi'is which :ire currugatcd runswrswiy iii-f. mik of the boum member inr tlm purpose spurfi- 5 fied.

7. In a brake beam. the cnmbinziiou with a braun member` a part having a sun-kei rif:- signed to reccive said beam member, mid S'zwkci. hn'fing suine of its dimensions .invaller 1 '3 than the corresponding inmnsens on the i l i i l i 

